The End of an Era
by wolf's lament
Summary: Post season 1, pre Vforce. The Bladebreakers have split up, but Boris is back with plans for Kai and Tala, who need to learn how to work together to survive what is in store for them.
1. The Breaking of the Bladebreakers

**This is kind of a sequal to In the Dark of My Mind. You do not need to read that fic if you don't want to (if you have not already) , but I would apprecaite it if you did (if you review as well it would be even better). **

**It takes place after the World Campionships (the first one) and will probably finish at the beginning of Vforce. This is mostly Tala and Kai friendship, but it could be taken as yaoi if you want it to be that.**

* * *

**_The Breaking of the Bladebreakers_**

"To the Bladebreakers!"

Glasses clinked together before they were brought to dry mouths. Every one of the teams had been invited to a party hosted by the BBA in celebration of BIOVAULT's defeat. Tyson was signing autographs for some of the teams as well as eating whenever he got a break. Ray was with the White Tigers talking to Lee and Mariah while Max was talking with his parents.

Kai watched as everyone celebrated. He was proud of his friends and for the All Starz, White Tigers and Majestics. Each of the teams had made some contribution to the Bladebreaker's victory. It had also been his victory as he had finally defeated the darkness inside, maybe not forever, but he could now control it without any worries for the consequences.

Kai watched as his teammates celebrated the win against BIOVOLT. It was all over and they had won. Yes, it was their win, not his. A smile came to his face as he watched them talk and laugh together. Even Kenny had learned to fit in faster than he had. Part of Kai always hated the fact that they were all such good friends, but really there was no one to blame but himself and he had known that for some time.

Their victory against BIOVOLT? That had nothing to do with him and in a lot of ways he had changed very little. He did not use the shadows to discover, but he still kept his guard while others trusted him to open up to them. It would be a long time before he trusted anyone like he had in the past.

As well as he could he slipped outside, figuring no one would mind if he left early; after all he had lost his match against Spencer. If it had not been for Tyson he would have lost Suzaku forever. Truthfully if it had not been for Tyson _he _would have been lost to the darkness forever. Kai sighed as he slowly walked away.

"So you were just gonna walk away without even a goodbye."

"What do you want Tyson?" Kai should have known Tyson would not let him leave like that.

"The others will wonder where you've gone."

"Please Tyson. Name six people in that room that care if I'm there or not."

"Well, there's Max, Ray, Kenny, Mr. D, Gramps, and me." Tyson smiled, seemingglad that he could think of six people.

"Tyson you're outside the room."

Tyson looked at Kai with hurt eyes. "They may not act like it, but they do care about you, Kai."

Kai looked away from Tyson's eyes trying to be as nice as possible about what he was going to say. After all it was not Tyson's fault that they hated him. It was his own fault. "Tyson, I can't stand there while most of the people in there know that it's my fault BIOVOLT was so close to winning. Don't give me that look Tyson you know it's true whether you like it or not."

"I could care less. The past is the past and they'll get over it."

"Yeah, maybe."

Tyson put his hand on Kai's shoulder. "Come on. We don't have much longer before we'll all be splitting up. Let's make the most of it."

Kai nodded in answer as Tyson went inside.

Tyson always tried to include him in what they were doing, but Kai could feel that most of the people in the room would have liked to be on the other side of the world to him. It was hard to 'enjoy himself' as Tyson had wanted when he felt really left out.

"You don't seem to be joinin' in the celebrations little dude." Tyson's grandpa was standing next to him.

When Kai remained silent he continued, "If you ever need a place to crash or someone older to listen to you I'm always here. You may not think it's true, but no one can survive alone. Everyone needs someone."

Mr. Granger brought out a pendant. "This has been in the family for generations. It's supposed to be good luck and I was gonna give it to Tyson, but I think you need it more than him."

"Sir. It should stay in your family. I can't accept it."

"Whether you realise it or not you're part of this family. Your team would do anything for you and if that's not a family I don't know what is." Mr. Granger placed the pendant in Kai's hand.

"If you want I can tell them that you wanted to have an early night."

"Thanks." Kai bowed and turned his back on the man trying to keep himself in check as he quickly walked out.

As Kai walkedto his roomhe gradually was able to get control of himself. It had been a long time since any adult had given him any notice and in a way it felt comforting, but even Mr. Granger could not change his mind.

Kai squeezed the pendantas he walkedinto the room he was sharing with the Bladebreakers.

Kai did what he felt that he did best: he left without telling anyone. Not even Mr. Dickinson knew that he was leaving the sport for good. According to Kai's grandfather it was time to grow up and this time he had to agree with the man, no matter what he had done with BIOVOLT he was still a successful businessman. Being the best at beyblading meant nothing in the real world, because no matter how serious people are about it it's still just a kid's game, nothing more.

* * *

Kai listened to when the others came into the room to go to sleep. His bag was already packed and his grandfather had already been contacted about the arrangements. 

Once they were all asleep Kai sat up, picking up his bag and stealthily walked out of the room. He did not look back and he did not shed a tear. All of those feelings had left him as soon as his father had walked out of the door not looking back even on his family.

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**Reviews would be much appreciated! I'm afraid that updates could be a bit random, so just a warning.**


	2. Can a Monster Change?

**Very unimaginative title I'm afraid, but I really can't think. Enjoy!**

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_**Can a Monster Change?**_

'_It was all over. Grandfather's plans were up in smoke and I will finally able to live the life I want to live. Yeah right. There is no such thing as a happy ending as there will always be something to complain about._

'_The Bladebreakers had won, by my grandfather and his company were still around. He had never really like beyblade and only knew about it through my dad and me. When he found out that the sacred spirits could be harnessed into a kid's toy he was interested, but as soon as the Demolition Boys lost his hate for them resurfaced.'_

"Kai." Kai looked up from his writingto his door to see his grandfather standing towering over him as much as possible.

Kai did not even bother to hold back a sigh. "Yes Grandfather?"

"I have had enough of you playing those childish games. It is time you grew up and learned to take care of the company, since your father has so graciously dumped it into your responsibility."

Kai hated the mention of his father by anyone. The Bladebreakers had soon realised this and saved family questions for when he was not around. His grandfather knew that it annoyed him, and so did it as a nice way of saying that he had better not try to betray his grandfather's orders again.

"Well Grandson?"

"Yes sir." Kai's face was expressionless as his grandfather turned and left the room.

* * *

"There was no such deal Boris!"

Kai woke up that night to hear the loud voices of his grandfather and Boris, who were standing in the entrance of the mansion.

Boris's chuckle sent shivers down his spine. "Your payment to me was Kai. Don't tell me you do not remember?"

Kai's blood ran cold. Boris had pushed everyone in his care to his limit and Kai had a feeling that Boris had yet to forgive him for the defeat of BIOVOLT.

"Boris I have given you plenty of money and I'll give you more, but you are not taking Kai anywhere." Kai barely registered how frantic his grandfather's voice was.

"I'm taking my prize." Kai could just imagine Boris's sickening smile.

"He's with the Bladebreakers. Dickinson won't let him out of his sight."

Footsteps could be heard at the door to Kai's room as he dove under the bed, making as little noise as possible.

The door opened and Kai tried his best to keep his breathing steady as Boris made his way into the room. "Find him!"

It seemed that Boris still had some of his underlings and he was soon found by one of them.As he came out from under the bed he watched as some of the others were packing his bags, but Dranzer remained on the table.

"Hiding under a bed Kai. Was that the best you could do?" Kai looked over to his grandfather as Boris spoke.

His grandfather looked like he had aged about twenty years as he looked into Kai's eyes, sorrow filling them completely. The sorrow was soon filled with determination as the once proud head of BIOVOLT glared at Boris.

"You will be hearing from me very shortly Boris."

"I highly doubt that, since Dickinson and the police would get you for being close to Kai." Boris smiled as Kai took one last look at the man who had come so close to destroying his life, actually deserve the name Grandfather.

* * *

Kai sat on a plane next to Boris. His hair had been cut short except for his bangs, which partially covered his face.

"Don't worry you won't be alone for this little learning experience. I believe that your friends will be joining you very soon."

Kai tried to move his fists, so they would connect with the creep's face, but they were being held down by some very tight binds.

Boris smiled again at Kai's reaction. "Don't worry, you'll be around to see it. I'm going to kill each of your teammates in front of your eyes and then I'm going to finish off what's left of you. If I were you I'd get some sleep. You'll need it."

"No thanks. I was sleepingjust beforeyou kidnapped me. Besides the passport agency will arrest you as soon as they see who I am."

"Why do you think I had you get your hair cut? I may have only had a few days to execute this, but I knew you'd not be coming back as soon as you handed Black Dranzer back to us. I sorted everything really illegal before BIIOVOLT was down, so it's in your grandfather's name.If we get caught your grandfater gets the blame. I'm getting rid of all of my opponents at once."

Boris grabbed what was left of Kai's hair and pulled him close. "I'm going to love every minute of this, you see I can still create the perfect soldier."

Boris smirked at the fear in Kai's eyes. "I'm going to enjoy this, Kai."

Kai felt a sharp pain as Boris inserted a small needle into his upper right arm. His body seemed to collapse into his seat before he could not even hear Boris's chuckling.

* * *

Kai opened his eyes to see stone walls and bars. He started to stand up, but was held back by a strange looking chain.

"Don't worry, it's impossible to get it off. I've tried already."

Kai turned to see someone in the shadows watching him. "Who are you?"

The figure moved slightly, so the light was on part of his face.

Kai's eyes widened, "Tala."

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**Kai's grandfather will not be evil in this fic. It's basically a change from most of the stories.**

**Please review!**


	3. Back to BIOVOLT

**Yes I'm here with another update. I have quite a few chapters written up, so the updates should be pretty frequent and consistant for a while. Please enjoy!**_**

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**_

_**Back to BIOVOLT**_

"Tala." Kai walked in front of him, touching the bruise on the beyblader's cheek.

Tala flinched, but he quickly became annoyed. "You should have stayed with your friends. I can't believe that you're that much of an idiot!"

Kai sat down next to Tala. "I didn't come here out of my own free will."

"I know, but if you had stayed with the Bladebreakers Boris wouldn't have touched you."

"You're kidding right? So how did he get you? Did you just walk into his arms?"

"Alright you got me kid, you got me." Tala was still Kai's senior by two years, but the two had never even known each other in the abbey. There were no friendships in the abbey, because in the end they would be in your way to get to the top.

"Do you always run away just when your life is starting to have some meaning?" Tala looked at Kai in disgust. "It's pathetic."

"You have no idea."

"What's that?" Kai was holding the pendant that Mr. Granger had given him. He squeezed it, thinking about his own grandfather. Would he do anything, or was Kai on his own again?

"Tyson's grandpa gave it to me. It's supposed to be good luck."

"Maybe there's an on button that you need to find first." He could tell Tala was trying to lighten up the mood, if not for Kai then for himself.

"Or maybe it's a piece of junk." Tears were falling down Kai's face and Tala's eyes went wide.

Kai opened his eyes to see Tala wiping the tears from his cheeks, which had turned blue from the face paint. Kai took a cloth from his pocket and tried to wipe the rest of the markings away.

Tala took the cloth. "Here, at least I can see what I'm doing."

Kai closed his eyes as Tala gently wiped the rest of it off. He felt Tala's free arm pull him into a hug. Kai opened his eyes to see Tala a few inches from his face.

"Kai, I promise the two of us will take Boris down for good and we'll get out of here, but once that happens we go back to the way things were, alright?"

Kai nodded as Tala brought him into a hug. It was strange; he did not feel uncomfortable. It was the same that he felt with Tyson, like he actually belonged somewhere. Kai returned the hug and for a moment it was as if his father was back.

"How cute."

Both boys turned and growled at the new voice. "Boris."

"Now, now Tala, where are your manners?"

"I have to admit I thought the two of you would be tearing each other apart, but here I find you having feelings for each other. I'm sure your grandfather would be interested Kai."

"You're sick." Kai glared at Boris, but the smirk of the older man's face stayed in place.

"Now come Kai. Are you saying that there's no way the two of you would get together?"

"Shut up Boris! What do you want with us?" Boris and Kai turned to look at Tala. Boris smiled and walked away knowing that he had pushed Tala as far as he could.

After Boris had left Tala spoke. "The hug didn't mean _that_ Kai. Maybe it's better if we don't talk to each other."

Kai watched as Tala turned his back on him. He was mad at what Boris had implied as well, but there was some part of him that trusted Tala, maybe just because he was the only person Kai recognised who he knew was not a complete creep. Boris knew the two of them could escape if they worked together, but if they could not even trust each other they would not be able to.

* * *

The clank of the cell lock made Kai look up to see one of Boris's lackeys. Tala was asleep, but the man was not interested. He nodded to Kai and undid his chain.

"Don't try anything kid." He pulled Kai along with the chain.

Kai walked past all the empty cells, "So we're the only two beybladers left in BIOVOLT."

The man smirked. "It's not the same building you remember, so don't think of trying to escape."

"There aren't many places that use dungeons and knowing Boris it's one of the last places my grandfather would look, but he _will_ look here."

"You really think your grandfather will save you?" The man laughed, "Well you can hold on to that pathetic dream if you wish, but it will not make a bit of difference to you being found."

They came to a door where Kai knew Boris and what was left of BIOVOLT had been moved to.

* * *

"Well here is the famous Kai Hiwatari. It's a shame that you will not do this willingly, but that cannot be helped."

Boris smiled as Kai started trying to escape, but someone put a mask with sleeping gas over his mouth and nose and soon he was unconscious.

"That took you long enough. You should have done it when you went to get him instead of waiting 'til he panicked." Boris sighed. "It can't be helped. I want you to start the treatment and I want even the slightest change in his functioning to be reported to me."

"Yes sir."

Boris walked to his office. All of those years of planning had been shattered because of some children, but through Kai he could get revenge on Voltaire and Kai's friends at once.

When he had first met Kai the boy was lost. Voltaire had explained that Kai's father had just walked out on them and that Kai would be the heir of Hiwatari Enterprises. It was the easiest and fastest way that Boris could get to the top without getting his hands too dirty.

He soon realised what he had got himself into when he found that Kai would not listen to anyone, not even his grandfather. It took months of heavy discipline to get Kai to the point where he would follow orders, but not before giving the person who had given the order a run for his money.

Because of this he had separated Kai from the others to prevent any ideas of breaking the rules. Kai never seemed to mind. He would just read or sit and stare at nothing for hours. He was definitely a unique child, even if he was not the best at anything in particular he was great at practically everything he was interested in.

"Sir." One of the scientists stood at the door.

"What is it?"

"There's something really strange. We think that you should see it."

Boris nodded and stood up to walk out after the man. This time Kai had no power against them and his grandfather would not find him any time soon since he had few contacts that were still able to help him. Everything was coming together and the BBA would rue the day they wrote him off.

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**First of all I am not homophobic in any way, but I felt it would be right that for once the main characters themselves do not feel comfortable with the idea. Not every one is alright with boy/boy relationships and I thought it would add a bit more tension between the two of them. As you probably noticed they are not starting off on the best of terms.**

**Please review! (I can handle critisism)**


	4. Troubled Times

_**Troubled Times**_

Kai's body felt like lead. He could not even open his eyes to see what was happening. It was if he was asleep, but he was conscious of some things, like some voices that were very faint. It sounded as if they were from really far away, but Kai had a feeling that they were actually really close to him.

"Kai?" It was a distant voice, but he could still just make out what the person had said.

"What did they do to you?" Tala had his hand on Kai's forehead – he was feeling really hot.

Kai had yet to respond to him in any way. Something was wrong, because Kai had not looked this unhealthy when he had left. The markings on his face, which he had removed before Kai went with them, had masked the fact that Kai had been unwell at the start.

"Just stay with me Kai. We'll make it through this. I promise."

After the World Championships Tala's impression of Kai was not very good to put it lightly. He had watched Kai switch teams and yet Tyson and the rest of the Bladebreakers had accepted him back with little discussion. Tala had been furious that Kai had friends like that, but now it gave him some hope that his team could become that.

Yes, he was jealous of Kai. He had been ever since Kai rejoined the abbey andwithout being ashamed Tala could still say that he was. Kai had everything, friends and great power, and yet he did not even see how important his friends were.

Tala placed his hand into Kai's and held it, hoping that Kai would respond. He was rewarded when Kai's hand clasped his. A smile came onto Tala's lips; maybe the two of them could work out at least an understanding of each other.

* * *

"Well, what were the results?"

"We were able to give him the test serums that you wanted. So far he is still unconscious, so any real testing will begin after he wakes up. Sir, the thing that I'm worried about is that he seems to be sick and getting worse."

"Then fix it!"

"He has a high fever, but without him able to tell us what is wrong we would have to try way too many treatments. He would most likely die before we got through them all."

"Keep an eye on him and make sure he is kept cool."

"Yes sir. We just put him back with Tala, though."

"Keep him in there. Tala won't do anything, yet."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Kai finally had the strength to open his eyes, but no words escaped his mouth to get Tala's attention other than a small gasp as he took in air. Fortunately Tala had heard and was by his side.

"Your fever is still pretty bad. What happened?" Kai did not understand what he was saying and continued to stare at him.

"Kai?" Kai felt a cool hand touch his face. He smiled closing his eyes, before they slowly opened again.

"Kai stay awake!" Even if Kai had registered what Tala had said he would not have been able to do anything as he somehow lost control of his body.

* * *

Kai's eyes were open, yet he was asleep, or at least that is what it sounded like as Tala listened to his breathing. Something was wrong, whether it was from what Boris had done to him or something else Tala did not know.

Tala looked up to see Boris standing in the door. "How is he?"

Tala growled, "He needs medical attention."

"So you do care about him, or is it just that you'll feel guilty if he dies?"

Tala looked away from Boris and back to Kai. He would never admit it to Boris, but that sick man was right. He did not want to have anything to do with Kai's death, but did he actually care about the boy?

Boris chuckled and Tala knew he had waited too long to say anything. Boris picked Kai up and turned to leave, but not before adding: "If Kai dies you may go free."

Tala glared at the man, but he could not answer. If Kai's death would get him out then would he sacrifice the boy's life?

Tala looked away from the space where Kai had been lying. "I don't think I can keep my promise to you Kai. Not when your life is the only thing that is keeping me in this cell."

* * *

"Why did you say that to him, sir?" One of the scientists had come with Boris.

"It would be an easy way to get rid of Kai."

"But sir aren't we doing the experiments to make him the best warrior? You also said we would be taking care of his friends."

The man opened the door as Boris walked in with Kai, setting him on the table.

"Why use Kai when I am positive that I can get someone who will actually follow me? I could care less about his former teammates; they've split up, which means that they won't pose a threat to me."

The scientists took Kai and were hooking him to a machine to monitor him as Boris and the other man continued their conversation.

"Sir, you have someone in mind?"

Boris smiled. "He has more talent than Kai will ever have."

"Sir, why don't we just finish him off now?"

"Because you idiot, if that happened the BBA would never stop hunting me. I need some time away from their prying eyes so that I can bring about their destruction."

One of the other scientists suddenly spoke up, "Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Kai has slipped into a coma."

"What!"

* * *

Voltaire sat at his desk in the darkness of his office. The man who most people feared looked like he was in another world. His eyes, normally full of ambition, were dull and red from the lack of sleep he was getting.

Every so often he would rest his chin on his warn hands or pick up a lone picture on the desk. The picture showed Kai as a young boy with a wide grin on his face, being held between his mother and father. Voltaire was standing next to his son with a proud smile on his face. A drop fell onto the picture, temporarily distorting the young boy's face.

Voltaire wiped the tear away with his thumb and carefully set the picture back in its place before wiping his eyes. He looked back on the years he had spent with his grandson and he could not remember a single day when he had been kind to the boy after his father left them.

Voltaire looked at the photograph sighing again, for once feeling helpless.

* * *

_If I could go back in time_

_and do one thing differently than before._

_I would tell you how much I love you_

_and I would let you finally soar._

_I watched you fall and get up_

_on your own, without a fret._

_Leaving you to conquer it alone_

_will bemy biggest regret._

_I am an island, a mountain,_

_I made my life yours as well._

_I stopped your dreams that day_

_I watched you as you fell._

* * *

**Nothing really to add to this, except the poem is mine and I thought it would add to the mood. Unfortunately my poem writing skills are not very good. Please review and tell me what you think of the chapter (and the poem).**


	5. Dark Illusions

**I'm really not feeling great at the moment (understatement), but I thought I'd better post this since I finished it a while ago. Fortunately,since I did this a while ago,it was finished before I felt really bad, so the only way this chaper should not be as good as far as my proofreading skills are at the moment. This affects the chapter more than you'd think, so if there is something that does not fit with what is happening or the timeline is messed up in some way then please just say so in a review.**

**Try to enjoy.**

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_**Dark Illusions**_

"What!" Boris was furious at the situation. "How did this happen?"

"We think it's the combination of his fever and the conditions he's been in."

This was not how the plan was supposed to go. Boris played the past 24 hours in his head. Everything was going fine until they found out that Kai was sick. Had Voltaire known? It would not have surprised him if that old fool had known that Boris's plans would fail all because of Kai. It seemed that boy would always the cause of his demise. If Kai had not gone back to the Bladebreakers the world would have been Boris's once he had got rid of Voltaire.

Boris was standing in front of Tala's cell watching the boy getting caught up in his own thoughts. He was not surprised that Tala was taking the bait, after all he and Kai had never been very close and Kai was the one that took away everything Tala had within seconds of joining BIOVOLT. If Tala acted soon enough then none of his plans would have to be compromised.

* * *

Kai found himself lying on a beautiful black rock on the edge of a large lake surrounded by trees and white sands. He sat up and looked to see the white wispy clouds moving quickly as the wind rushed as the side of his face, moving the hair in front of his right eye. 

He moved his hand so that it was between his hair and his face, so that he could watch as the water rippled due to the wind blowing across the surface. He would have smiled if there had not been something sinister about the whole scene. It was not a real place. There were no sounds and the only smells that entered his nose were indescribable, but they were not what you would expect to smell outdoors.

Kai closed his eyes, trying to go back to the place he really was and get out of the dream, but as soon as he thought that he heard birds chirping and the wind blowing in his face. He could smell the pine trees that blew their needles around him. He looked around trying to determine if this place was real or in his mind, becoming more panicked with every second.

He jumped as he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He quickly turned to see a girl his age with a small, sweet smile on her face. "I thought you were never gonna wake up. You almost drown."

Kai looked at his bone-dry clothes, but she seemed to have read his mind. "You've been out here for some time. Your clothes dried ages ago. Would you like some food?"

"Yes… please." Kai could barely speak to the girl, let alone look at her as he tried to hide his blush.

She was the most amazingly beautiful girl he had seen. Her black hair contrasted with her pale skin and her deep red lips. Her eyes were a bright blue that shimmered like the water in a clear lake. She wore a long black dress that showed off her curves in just the right places, leaving her pale shoulders bare, and the bottom of the dress moved with her hair in the wind.

She turned around with a bowl in her delicate hands and she walked back over to him, making brief contact as she passed it to him. He ignored the small pain that quickly shot through him as soon as her eyes locked onto him and the corners of her lips moved upwards very slightly to reveal a smile that Kai would never forget.

"You'd better eat it soon before it gets cold." Her musical laugh filled the air as Kai blushed slightly, but smiled none the less.

Everything was forgotten; his friends, family, enemies and rivals did not even cross his mind as he looked at her. He started to eat his meal for fear of offending her in any way, but it was not going to be possible as he soon discovered her food tasted as good as she looked.

He set the bowl down and looked up only to see that she was inches from his face. She looked down at his lips before meeting his eyes and moving closer. Kai felt like he was paralysed as she brought her lips to his. It was soft and not at all forceful as she kept her soft lips on his. Kai ignored the pain that shot through his body. For that moment, being with her was all that mattered.

She brought one of her pale hands to his face. He barely registered the screech that was heard before they were separated. Kai reached out his hand to touch her when a woman stopped him from moving any further. The girl's eyes flashed a blood red colour.

Kai struggled to reach the girl, but the woman had a firm, but gentle grip on him.

"Leave him alone you witch." The woman's voice made its way to Kai's ears.

The girl smiled the same smile she had shown Kai. "This battle is far from over. He is mine as much as yours."

"No!" Kai struggled to go to her as she disappeared.

"Please." Kai felt drops of liquid falling down his body as the woman pleaded with him to stop struggling.

He looked down to see the tears were crimson, but when he looked into her eyes that were identical to the girl he only saw clear streaks down her face.

He suddenly felt faint and he collapsed onto her chest, looking up to see an older version of the girl, but with light blond, almost white, hair.

"What..?" She put her finger to his lips.

"Just rest. You're safe now."

"I was safe before." Kai tried to plead for the girl and he watched the woman start to cry again.

He felt pain in his arms and he looked down to see the red tears were actually drops of blood moving from various cuts. As her tears touched the cuts he felt a great pain before they disappeared. It was not long before they were all gone.

"How did I get those cuts?"

"_She_ gave them to you." The woman's voice was filled with a great hate for the girl.

"But how?"

"She drained you of your energy like she does to every creature she touches. She is a parasite and likes nothing more than to find someone powerful and then drain him of his life."

Kai felt all of his energy leave him. He was such a fool, but there was just something about her that drew him in, as if she was supposed to be a part of him.

"You're supposed to feel like that."

Kai's eyes shot open as he heard her voice. "You can read my mind?"

"We are in your mind." The woman reminded him of his mother when he was younger.

A thought suddenly came to his mind. He had seen this woman and the girl before. He looked at her trying to remember.

"I comforted you when you had no one there to help you. I stood by you when you won, praising you for your strength. I waited for you to return when you chose her instead of me."

Kai's eyes widened as he looked at her. "Suzaku."

Kai did not need to be on guard with her for she was the only one that protected him. He smiled as he settled down into her lap, closing his eyes and knowing that he would be safe.

* * *

"Get up Tala!" The shout from Boris made the boy struggle to stand again. "And you wonder why you're second best to Kai." 

A growl found its way from Tala as stood up, readying himself for Boris's next attack on him. The man that was beating him was one of Boris's 'followers' as Boris himself liked to call them. Boris would never get his hands dirty punishing anyone, not even Kai was that _honoured_.

An object, which Tala could only quickly register as a pipe bar, would have slammed straight into his head if he had not blocked it with his right arm. A shooting pain went through his arm and the crack that echoed through the small room announced that it was broken. He fell to the ground making sure he did not use his right arm, bruising his other arm, as it was the first to hit the floor.

"Leave him. Know this Tala, at least Kai is useful to experiment on. The only thing I can get from you is how long you'll last a beating session." Boris scoffed before walking out with the other man.

* * *

"Boris sir. What is the point of doing this?" Boris could tell that the man had little clue about what was happening. 

"I need to make Tala realise that I much prefer Kai to him and make him think that Kai would easily abandon him given the chance, neither of which will be very hard. Tala already is suspecting that we have no use for him, but complete use for Kai, so it is only a matter of waiting."

* * *

**Again I'm sorry if this chapter has confused you. I'll clear it up with you, so just ask me about any bits you don't understand(unless it gives away the plot and don't worry I won't be offened). **

**Please review!**


	6. Whe Life Flashed Before My Eyes

**Sorry for the wait with this chapter, I've been really busy this week. This chapter does get long in places, so bare with me; it's basically two chapters in one.**

**Please enjoy.**

* * *

_**When Life Flashed Before My Eyes**_

It had been almost six weeks since Kai had slipped into a coma and Tala had had plenty of time to brood over his own situation as his arm healed. He had had enough of being kept here just because Kai was and it was time he did something that he should have done the moment Kai had set foot in the abbey.

Boris had let Tala walk through the maze of the abbey as long as he did not go to the upper levels. Tala had soon realised that there were way too many guards for him to take down, so for now he followed orders.

Tala crept through the halls to the place they were keeping Kai. He opened the door and was confronted by the smell of disinfectant and detergent. Kai looked pathetic lying in bed, almost blending into the white sheets. His muscles were practically gone from not moving around and despite being fed through a tube he was amazingly thin.

Tala smirked, knowing that he was the one in control and not Kai. He walked over so that he was right beside Kai. Tala took off Kai's scarf and his breathing mask and put his hand onto Kai's throat, only needing to press gently onto his windpipe to cut off the boy's air supply. He watched as Kai's face started to gain a blue tinge to it. Tala scowled; Kai was supposed to wake up and defend himself.

Tala watched as Kai gave a tiny gasp for air. That was it? No struggle? No fight?

Tala's triumph turned to shock then fear. Kai must be in bad shape if he did not even wake up. Tala quickly removed his hand and forced the mask back on, watching as Kai took in huge breaths of air. Tala never thought he would see the day that he would want to help Kai, but it had just arrived.

* * *

Kai woke up on the soft grass, just before it was taken over by the sand near the lake. The wind, which had dropped in speed, lightly pulled at his hair, trying to get him to go into the clear lake. He took a deep breath, taking in everything around him and then releasing it slowly.

He unwrapped his scarf from around his neck and took off his black top and put them on the rock he had first been lying on. He did the same with the rest of his clothes before jumping into the clear depths. He came up breathing heavily because of the icy temperatures, but there was a large smile on his face. He had never felt so free in his life and he had yet to think about beyblading.

His face became serious as he looked back towards his clothes. He was so much happier when he was not worrying about training or beyblading in general. He had never realised how much beyblading had a hold on his life. He had become World Champion along with the rest of his teammates. That had been his goal for what seemed like forever and now that he had achieved it was there really any point in continuing?

Suddenly something pulled him underwater, knocking the wind out of him and making him unable to breathe. Somehow his body just froze and he could not even struggle against the grasp of whatever had its hold on him. He felt himself loosing consciousness before he heard a faint screech as Suzaku wrapped her arms around him and placed her forehead on his. Her opposite wrapped her arms around his waist, her face touching his cheek. Both smiled at him.

"It is time you woke up and faced life once again."

* * *

Tala watched Kai closely, just in case there was any kind of damage when suddenly Kai's eyes flew open. Tala was caught off guard and fell on the floor with a yelp. As he got up to look at Kai he watched the young beyblader move his head slightly.

"Hey." Kai's greeting was very raspy and was quickly followed by a coughing fit.

Tala grabbed some water. "I'm sorry."

Kai could not sit up on his own, so Tala sat him up and moved the mask away from his mouth and put the cup there, adding, "Don't swallow."

Kai nodded and sipped the water before spitting it back into the cup and giving Tala a questioning look.

"I almost killed you just a few minutes ago."

Kai's expression did not change as Tala poured the water down the sink. "Thank you."

Tala's eyes widened and he looked at Kai. "What?"

"Thank you for the water… and for not killing me." A small smile made its way to Kai's lips. "So now that we seem to have got over our hate for each other shall we get out of here?"

Tala's confusion only grew. "There are too many guards and you are in no condition to move let alone fight."

"You don't mind waiting a bit longer do you?"

* * *

It was a couple of weeks before either thought that they were ready. Both were on edge and Tala was taking in any detail that might help as he walked along the corridors to Kai's room.

"Hey Kai, today's the day we… Kai?" Tala opened the door to find Kai was missing.

Tala sprinted down the halls until he was at the nearest ventilation shaft to the monitor room. He climbed through them until he was inside the monitor room, where he saw Kai in a glass tube with Boris looking on in one of the screens. Tala knew the worst thing he could do would be to go and jump in on them, so he waited, passing the time by looking through Boris's files.

Tala started to read one of them that had been labelled 'BEGA.' Scanning the files inside of it he started reading about his planned teams: Barthez Battalion and the BEGA league. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the already chosen star beyblader of BEGA – _Brooklyn Kingston_.

Brooklyn Kingston was apparently was a natural beyblader who no one would be able to beat. All of this boy's briefings had been on how to destroy Kai. It seemed Boris still had a grudge on the Hiwatari heir. What did not seem to make sense was if they were going to kill him why would they need this kid? Unless this was a back up plan, just in case they could not kill him. It would make sense.

He soon found his file as well as Kai's. The hospital had removed the damage Boris had done to him for the finals, which was a welcome relief after all that had happened. As he clicked onto Kai's file he let out a gasp.

* * *

A knock on the door signalled to Kai that Tala was here. "About time." Kai grumbled as the door opened.

"Kai, if I had known you were that eager to do this I would have brought you in last week." Kai's eyes widened as Boris stood smiling at him.

"Before Tala decides to kill you I want to get one experiment over with."

"What are you talking about?" Kai was speaking through gritted teeth.

"We already finished stage one, so now it is time to finish this completely. Or were you referring to Tala?" Boris's smirk grew. "You see a couple of weeks ago, in fact the day you woke up from your coma Tala tried to kill you. He wrapped his hand around your neck and pushed just enough so you couldn't breath. Fortunately he seemed to back out at the last second and he made sure you woke up."

Kai held back a smirk _'That's what you think Boris. I know what happened.'_

Kai did not bother to protest. He just hoped the side effects were not going to be as bad as the last stage's effects were.

Kai felt a stinging pain in his arm and before he could register what was happening he was unconscious.

* * *

Kai woke up in a tank of bluish liquid with a gas mask on. He soon realised that opening his eyes had been a mistake as he screamed out in pain. He then became aware that it was not just oxygen that was making its way into his mask, there was something else as well.

His skin seemed to be tightening as the experiment continued, but he was suspended with wires and had yet to find the ability to try and move to get them off of him. Kai opened his eyes again to find that he was able to see now, without the stinging. He saw Boris's knowing smile as he once again fell unconscious.

* * *

Tala walked into Kai's room to greet him, "Are you OK?"

Kai opened his eyes and Tala gasped. Kai's fiery eyes were now an ashy grey and by the look on Kai's face he knew what Tala had gasped at.

"Boris said it would go away after a while."

Tala put a hand onto Kai's shoulder; "Maybe Suzaku will be able to fix it."

"I just hope they aren't going to stay like this. It feels a bit weird."

Tala opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Kai. "You know what Boris wanted to do, right?"

Tala nodded, "Yeah." He looked at Kai before picking up the younger beyblader's bag. "You ready to get out of here?"

"Is Boris finished with me?"

"Well just short of killing you, yeah."

"You knew about it."

"I figured it out after I almost killed you."

Kai gave a genuine smile, "Then what are we waiting for, Boris to give us an invitation?"

Tala helped Kai out of bed as the two started to walk out.

They soon found themselves in a dark hallway where the light around was not enough for them to see very far. Tala started feeling his way along the walls with his one hand, while the other held Kai.

"What are you doing?" Kai had stopped and Tala turned around to try to see what he was doing.

"Trying to find our way through here. I can't see a thing."

"I'll lead the way then."

Tala's eyes widened, "You can see in here?"

Kai walked in front of him and half-dragged him along. "Why would I make it up?"

Tala suddenly remembered something that he had read in the file.

_Raises sensory abilities, making the subjecteasily adaptto changes in the environment._

Tala put it to the back of his mind as they continued to run down the different hallways. Just when Tala was becoming used to the dark, Kai slammed him against the wall with a great force. Tala watched as a laser shot past his vision.

"Tala you need to run as fast as you can, alright?" Tala only needed to nod and the two were running as fast as they could, dodging the lasers as much as possible.

Tala kept running until he saw daylight and they were out of the building.

* * *

Voltaire stood outside the front door, sheltered by the stone roof at the entrance. He had spent a long time trying to make sure the BBA was off of his trail; the last thing he wanted was for someone else to do his job. To onlookers he would have seemed like a statue watching over the house, but in fact he was waiting.

The rain hammered at the ground in front of him and every few seconds lightning would flash, temporarily blinding him, followed by a crash of thunder. The storm was right over him, but he would wait in any kind of weather to make sure she arrived.

A dark car drove up, stopping at the entrance as the driver parked it. A young woman stepped from the car and was soon shielded by one of Voltaire's servants. She was a little bit smaller than average height and her black hair was tied up in a neat bun, not a single strand of hair was out of place, even with the strong winds. Voltaire knew she had enough years of experience to know that he was a man of perfection, and a highly rewarding man at that.

Bright blue eyes looked up to Voltaire before she spoke, "I did not expect to be needed for another job so soon sir."

Voltaire looked at her, judging whether she was still trustworthy, before replying, "I need you to find a way to get me to Russia without drawing attention to myself."

"Sir, not to seem out of line or anything, but are you not finished with Boris?"

The man's face darkened considerably and the woman shrunk back a bit. "Boris has taken something of mine and this is not over until I get him back."

The woman's eyes flashed slightly as another fork of lightening shot through the air. "_He_ sir?"

Voltaire turned his back, silently inviting her in, "He has taken my grandson."

"I thought the BBA had temporary guardianship over him."

"He came back." He walked into the living room and sat in one of the chairs that was across from another, inviting her to sit.

As she sat; the woman's eyes, which had become hard from working, suddenly softened. "The boy seemed to care about you a lot, no matter how much he denied it to others. He needs someone to lean on when things are rough." She placed a hand on his leg in a comforting way before continuing, "And so do you."

"Why do you think I employed you?"

The woman smiled, "You know what I mean." She brought out her laptop and started to type the information down.

"Do know for a fact it was Boris who took him?"

"Considering he came into this house at a late hour and dragged him out, I would have to say yes."

"We could go to the authorities about this. Although the BBA would not allow you to see him I'm sure Kai would come back again."

Voltaire considered this, giving his opinion, "I would rather I did this myself. I do not wish for the BBA to fight my battles, even if we would fight for the same thing. Besides Kai left them on his own free will, which proves that he was not intending to go back."

"Shall I plan your trip then?"

"Make sure it is booked as soon as possible. I do not want Boris to have him for much longer."

"Yes sir. It will take some time since we are trying not to attract attention." The woman bowed and walked out.

* * *

**Yes that was my way of explaining Kai's change in eye colour. I'm going along with the series' plot, so as you might have seen there were some hints for the beginning of Vforce. Anyway, please review!**


	7. Wolf Brother

**This chapter goes against the series a bit. First of all the ages of the Bladebreakers will be different, so basically I'm not counting the episode that was supposedly Tyson's birthday (mostly because none of the people in the scene were relations of Tyson and in the manga they are the people in his hometown celebrating because he'd made the town famous). Secondly, I'm making Kai second oldest (again this is my opinion on it even though the dub says that Kai is oldest).**

* * *

_**Wolf Brother**_

"Not good." Kai and Tala had just run out into the light where two guards faced them.

The two shared a glance before dodging and running around the two guards.

"Hey, stop!" One of the guards shouted after them.

Tala smirked, "They say it as if we're for once going to listen to them."

Kai smiled at the boy just ahead of him as the two continued to run out of the courtyard of the weird complex that was definitely not the abbey, which they knew quite well.

"Why does nothing ever go to plan?" Kai caught up to Tala to ask what he was talking about; that was until he saw it for himself.

They were standing at the edge of a very large hill covered in snow. The same thought went thought both of their heads, but Kai was the first one to say them out loud; "Too bad we don't have a toboggan."

The two started to run down the hill but found themselves sinking into the snow as they ran.

"Tala this is impossible." Kai had just fallen the fifth time in a few metres and he could see Tala was doing just as badly.

Tala looked back at Kai, "What do you suppose we do then?"

Kai registered that he was carrying his bag and although Boris was the one to pack it, it might have something that they could use. His hopes were rewarded when he found a leather coat. "Will this do?"

Tala's face brightened as they quickly sorted out how to use it to slide down the hill.

Snow flew up as the makeshift toboggan slid down the hill. Both beybladers had determined looks on their faces as they heard the guards trying to catch up. The sound of motors alerted them that Boris's team were right on their trail.

As they reached the bottom they hit a rock and Kai, being on the back, was thrown over Tala, landing on his side before rolling into a tree. A large crack was heard and Tala, picking up the jacket after stopping, ran over to see if Kai was alright.

Tala touched Kai's right arm to be answered with a yell. He started to help Kai up, doing his best not to touch the younger boy's arm. "What hurts?"

"It's my wrist, but don't worry I can still run and we need to get out of here." Kai reminded Tala of the threat behind him.

Taking Kai's backpack Tala started to run and Kai soon caught up to him. The snow slowed them down, but fortunately they were able to get into a nearby forest before the snowmobiles caught up.

The two sheltered behind some bushes that shielded them from their pursuers' sights. Both caught their breath as the men got off their vehicles and checked the area, missing the two boys completely.

Tala could hear Kai's heavy breaths as well as his own as the two watched the men leave. Both were tired from the running since the snow was so deep and neither were fully prepared for surviving in the snow, no matter how much they had lived in Russia. The Abbey had been bad, but they had been guarantied a hot meal everyday at least; it seemed that this time the meals had been cut now Boris was trying to cut costs and keep a low profile.

"We'd better get going." Kai's statement brought Tala from his thoughts for a few seconds.

Looking at Kai just then he realised how much he had missed that had changed about the young warrior. His blue-grey hair had gone darker and had been cut so that only a few strands of hair fell over his forehead. His white scarf had disappeared and without the markings on his face he actually looked a lot younger than Tala had first thought. His baggy trousers were dark blue, but had faded a bit through use. Lastly was his button-up short sleeve shirt, the top two buttons undone, which was a burgundy colour that contrasted greatly with his now grey eyes.

Tala noted that he was still wearing the same clothes he had been wearing when he had faced Tyson. Ironic that he had been wearing them when Boris had recaptured him.

"Are we going or are you starting to regret escaping?"

Once again Kai had snapped Tala out of his thoughts. Tala gave a quick smile to the boy before following him.

* * *

"How's your wrist?"

It had been a few hours since they had begun walking and Kai was starting to fall behind. Tala did not have to be a mind reader to know Kai was being distracted by the pain in his wrist. He sighed, "Someone should give that kid a break."

"Hey Kai, why don't we rest up ahead by those trees?" Tala pointed as he looked back at Kai.

Kai raised his head to see where Tala was pointing before looking down again and concentrating on his footsteps.

The two sat under some of the trees that were the only dots of colour for the miles ahead of them. They roasted some nuts and berries, as they had not been able to find any meat. They were about to eat their meal when they heard the howling of wolves.

Both Kai and Tala turned towards the direction the howling had come from. It was close to where they were, but their fire would keep them away unless they were starving.

"I'll take watch. I don't like the idea of those wolves murdering us in our sleep if they turn out to be hungry."

Kai nodded in agreement still looking in the direction of the wolves. He seemed to be off in his own world as he looked into the distance. It was as if he could see through the trees that surrounded them.

"Do you think anyone's looking for us?"

"Who would care about the two of us, Kai, other than our teams?" Tala leaned back on the tree. "Since both our teams have disbanded I doubt anyone will even realise we're gone."

Tala watched as Kai's head drooped, as he nibbled the last few berries in his hand. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

It was then that Tala remembered how much older he was compared to Kai. They looked similar in age mostly because they had a similar level of maturity as well as height, but Kai was at least a year younger to Tala to the best of his knowledge.

"How old are you?"

Kai took his head off of his arms, which were folded over his knees, and looked over at Tala. "I turned thirteen a couple of months ago."

Tala's eyes widened; he had not expected Kai to be that young. The kid was easily two years younger than he was.

"Why do you wanna know?" Kai's glare had come back and he was only leaning an arm on one of his knees, the other stretched out in front of him.

"I always thought you and Ray were way older than the other three." Tala, who had been looking at the sky as he said that, looked into Kai's eyes. "You guys are all about the same age aren't you?"

"Ray is about half a year older and Tyson is a couple of months younger than me. Max and Kenny are about the same age and are a few months younger than Tyson."

"You miss them don't you?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Part of me really does, but…" He never finished his answer.

Tala went over to Kai and pulled him into a small embrace. "Lay down."

Kai laid his head on Tala's lap and turned away from his face.Tala looked down at Kai, "What about your wrist?"

"If you're so worried about it I'll take care of it tomorrow when I'm more awake. It doesn't hurt at the moment anyway."

Tala smiled letting out a contented sigh. "Tala?"

Tala looked down at the kid; a small smile on his lips, "Yeah?"

"Thanks." And with that Kai drifted into a peaceful sleep.

"You're welcome Kai."

The wolves howled in the distance as the fire danced, illuminating the two boys in the clearing.

* * *

Please review.


	8. The Lone Wolf

**I've finally been able to finish and post this chapter. I am sorry it has taken so long, but it's here now. Just as a warning, there are only going to be two more chapters to the story and then the epilogue (including this one). I'm sorry if it seems I've cut it short, but I'm not that good at endings; my stories tend to fizzle out.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kai's mother, but I have made up her name (if that isn't too confusing). Isabel and her pet belong to me.**

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* * *

**

_**The Lone Wolf**_

A small crack woke Kai from his sleep and he sat up, quickly being reminded of his wrist. Noticing his bag where he had been laying his head he scanned the area for Tala, whom he saw leaning against a tree in front of the fire that was almost out.

Kai let out a small chuckle and shook his head; "He could have just woken me if he was tired. And people say I'm stubborn."

Another crack similar to the one that had awoken him came from behind him. Twisting his body so he could see he saw a dark figure step out of the foliage. Kai gasped in shock.

* * *

Voltaire rubbed his temples. He had never been very patient and the kidnap of his grandson was putting a lot more pressure on him than he would ever had guessed. If someone had come up to him after BIOVOLT's defeat and said to him that his grandson was going to be taken away he would have been happy to say the least.

One of the many people he thought he would be happy to get rid of himself was causing him to only get a few hours of sleep filled with nightmares. He took another sip of his coffee before looking back at the paperwork for the company. It seemed that his investment in BIOVOLT was not only a waste of money, but it was still costing him.

There was a knock at the door; "May I come in?"

Voltaire recognised the voice immediately; "I was wondering if you were going to be arriving soon. I actually thought you would get here sooner, Lillian, since this does concern your son."

"What? I was not told that in my message." The woman's brown eyes had widened and filled with worry, "Where is he? Listen Voltaire, I know that he disobeyed you, but he is not Susumu. He is a good kid at heart."

"That's enough!" He watched as she flinched back. "I was going to punish Kai, but he did come back a few weeks after the World Championships and I have to admit I was and still am impressed with his bravery."

"Where is he then?" Lillian Hiwarati was about average height withvery short silvery-blue hair that stopped at the back of her neck. Worry was evident in her face.

"I made a deal with Boris and it concerned Kai." By this time Voltaire had stood up and walked over to the window so that he had his back to Lillian.

"You sold my only son?" Tears were in her eyes, and Voltaire could hear it in her voice.

"I did not intend to. Boris found a loophole in my deal with him."

"That's no excuse!" The woman had become hysterical and it was not what Voltaire needed.

"Who was the one who looked after the boy after his father abandoned him? Who paid for all of his expenses? Who was the one who even gave a damn about him?"

"I was a fool." Voltaire turned just to see her kneel on the ground and cry into her lap. "I should have paid him more attention after Susumu left."

She looked up when his wrinkled hand touched her face, comforting her. "We were both foolish, Lillian. I promise, though, we will get him back."

* * *

Kai was frozen. In front of him stood a wolf with white fur. Neither he nor the wolf moved, whether it was for fear of the other it was not completely certain.

The wolf was the first to move, slowly padding up to Kai; eyes on the boy, who did not move or flinch as it put its paws onto the boy's lap. Both eyes turned to see a figure move.

Tala stirred in his sleep, slowly sitting up to look around him. His eyes widened as he saw a wolf practically on top of Kai.

"So you finally woke up." There was no sense of urgency in Kai's voice, which in some ways just made Tala annoyed.

"How can you act so clam when that wolf could kill you at any second?" Needless to say Tala was not happy.

"Well, since you were asleep, I thought it would be best not to wake you." Kai's eyes narrowed, "In fact I don't think there have been many decisions I have made where you haven't argued with me."

"Why do you think..?" Tala was cut off when the wolf started growling.

Kai smirked, "Your bit-beast is a wolf yet they don't seem to like you that much." Kai smiled slightly when it licked his hand.

"Lupus!" Both boys turned as the wolf ran over yipping at the newcomer. "Ah, so you found us some guests huh?"

The two boys looked over to see an old woman standing next to the wolf. Her silvery hair was tied back into a bun, which also seemed to flatten her wrinkles, if only slightly. She was quite small, only twice the height of the wolf on all fours.

"You boys must be starving. How long have you been out here?"

Silence seemed to blanket everything before Tala spoke, "We've only been out here for one night."

"I'm surprised you kids are still alive. Let's get you inside and you can have something to warm you up." The woman smiled and turned from the two boys, her wolf following behind.

The two glanced at each other before following as well.

* * *

"How about some warm hot chocolate? I'm sure you two are freezing. Here come and sit by the fire."

Tala watched in mild amusement as the small woman busied herself trying to make the two comfortable. Kai was his usual quietness, which was hard to get used to again because he had been talking a lot more when it had just been the two of them.

The woman brought three large mugs of hot chocolate on a tray, which she set down on a table between the two boys and the fire. She took one of the mugs and sat in a chair that was next to Tala, but angled so that she could see both of them.

"So tell me, what you were doing out there and what are your names?" Her smile was the friendliest Tala had ever seen. It reminded him how alone he felt.

Brushing the negative feelings away he answered, "My name is Tala Ivanov." He took a sip of his hot chocolate waiting for Kai to say something.

He turned to look at the kid, who was just staring into the mug he had picked up. Tala sighed, "And he is Kai Hiwatari."

Tala almost missed the look of surprise on the woman's face when he said Kai's name, but it was very quickly replaced with her smile. It made Tala feel uncomfortable, especially if there was a chance she worked for Boris.

"My name is Isabel," she drew attention to her feet, where the wolf was laying, "and this is my companion Lupus. I know it's not a very original name, but he seems to like it. He was abandoned by his pack when he was young. But enough about that, you have yet to answer my other question."

Tala was more reluctant to answer this question, firstly because he did not really know and secondly because he was starting not to trust her. "Why do you need to know?"

"We were kidnapped by a man named Boris Balkov." Tala and Isabel turned to look at Kai, who had not taken his eyes off of his hot chocolate.

"Boris huh? I have not heard that name in quite a while." The woman turned to look at the fire, seemingly lost in thought.

"Have you heard of him?" Tala looked at her hoping to get some answers of his own.

"My story is not important and your friend looks like he's about to fall asleep in his chair. We'll talk tomorrow morning." The woman smiled as she jumped off her chair. "Please follow me and I'll show you to your rooms."

* * *

The two boys were in identical beds that night. Tala was sitting up and looking out of his window while Kai had already lain down. Isabel was still up and she said she would check on them before she went to sleep.

There was still a question going through Tala's mind, "Kai?"

Tala looked over to see the lump in the bed had stirred and Kai had turned around to face him, even though he was still lying down.

"Are you alright? You seem a bit out of it, so to speak."

There was only a candle illuminating the room and it seemed to make Kai's eyes glow with some of the fire they used to have, even through the grey. "I've just been thinking."

"It must be pretty important to distract you so much."

Kai briefly closed his eyes before opening them again. "Have you ever thought that you had everything ahead of you and knew exactly what you wanted and had an idea of how to get it? Have you ever wanted it so much that you would be willing to sacrifice everything to get it, but one day you look back and you realise that the thing you wanted so much has passed you by in another form? I had what I wanted, yet I was so close-minded that I could not see it for what it was."

"It sounds like you have lost something very important to you, son." Tala had to stop himself from jumping at Isabel's voice.

Kai snorted, "As you probably heard, not only did I loose something important, but I also didn't even realise when I had what I wanted again."

The old woman sat on the edge of his bed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Everyone makes mistakes. I'm sure you'll have another chance."

Tala had never really noticed or even thought about how much being alone would have got to Kai. Kai was thought to be the lone wolf, the one who only let people be around him as long as he could stand them. It seemed he did not know Kai very well at all.

"I don't think I'll let myself have another chance. I would just do it again. I can't think of the last time I thought of someone other than myself."

"Do you think anyone else is different?" Both sets of eyes turned to Tala. "I can't think of a single person who does something that is not selfish."

Isabel smiled at Tala, turning to look at Kai again, "Your friend's right. Everyone is selfish in the end no matter how much you try to justify it. I let you two boys in to get you out of the cold because _I_ would have felt guilty, not to mention I've been going for a long time without any real human contact. Even the kindest of acts are done selfishly if you look hard enough."

Isabel smiled and stood up, taking her hand off Kai's shoulder, "Now don't stay up too late boys." And with that she walked out of the room.

After she had shut the door Tala spoke up, "Does your wrist still hurt?"

"No, it's a lot better now. It must have only been a sprain."

Kai turned over, "Good night Tala."

"Night Kai." Tala said before blowing out the candle and plunging the room into darkness.

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**I should have the next chapter up sooner. I wanted to have an idea of what was going to happen next before posting this. Please review!**


	9. Promise for Revenge

**This is the final chapter of 'The End of an Era.' There will be an epilogue posted, but it wont be very long, so this is pretty much it. A big thank you to everyone who reviewed. You guys are the best! So without further ado...**

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**_Promise for Revenge_**

Kai awoke to the smell of cooking. "Great I'm becoming like Tyson." He mused as he sat up.

He looked over to the other bed, where Tala was still asleep. Smiling slightly he quickly padded out of the room, closing the door silently behind him.

* * *

"Ah, you are finally up, huh?" Isabel picked up the frying pan from the stove and brought it over to the table, tipping its contents onto one of the plates. "Eat up, you're only skin and bones. Honestly what do parents do nowadays? It's as if they forget their children are hungry… by the way where is your friend?" 

"He's still sleeping. He deserves it, though, since he was up most of the night before you found us." Kai said as he took a sip of the tea she had made.

"You two seem to have a strange relationship. Are you actually friends?"

Kai looked as the now empty cup of tea, "Not really. Tala and I aren't what you would call close, but the circumstances have forced us to settle our differences a bit."

The woman nodded in understanding, looking at the child as he began to speak again.

"We have looked after each other, well he has done most of the looking after actually. I've mostly been getting in the way. I don't think I had ever felt my age until he started watching my back so much." Kai looked up to Isabel's face; "Tala's easier to get along with than I am. Even though he can be pretty mean when ordering around his team, he does care about them and they care about him."

"Are you saying that is not the case with you?"

"Yes and no." Kai paused before continuing. "My team always cared a lot about me, even if I didn't return the feelings. I learned to trust them when they saved my life; even after I had betrayed them."

"Are you worried that you have lost their friendship?"

"Well, I haven't exactly tried to stay in contact with them. I have not had many opportunities to contact them, but I probably should have left them a note or something. I've never been very good with goodbyes."

It was then that Kai remembered the pendant that Tyson's grandpa had given him. Sticking his hand into his pocket he pulled it out again. He was lucky he had not lost it when they were trying to escape.

Closing his eyes he thought back to everything he had done since the World Championships. His life had never been the best, but that did not mean that he should let it take over. He had had enough of taking orders without really thinking, so his next big decision had to be his own.

The two talked for some more while waiting for Tala to wake up. It felt weird, but Kai found that he felt a lot better talking to Isabel about things.

"Listen son, no matter what happens live your life the way you want to, otherwise I guarantee that you'll regret it even more in the end."

A gunshot followed by Lupus' barking brought the two out of their conversation. Kai rushed outside to see one of the last people he wanted to: Boris. A guard was on either side of him, both carrying rifles.

Lupus was growling between Kai and Isabel, white teeth bared at the attackers.

Isabel was the first to speak, "What do you want here?"

"I don't want anything of yours, my dear. The only thing I want are the two boys that are staying with you." Kai felt everyone's eyes turn to him, "So Kai, where is Tala?"

A slice went through the air before one of the guards had his gun knocked out of his hand. Kai was quick to react knocking out the other guard as Lupus jumped onto thefirst one, growling.

"Do you do this to me just so I can miss all the action, Kai?" Tala stood in the front door and caught his beyblade as it returned to him.

Kai rolled his eyes before the two turned their attention to Boris. "I am impressed with the two of you. I have to admit I underestimated your teamwork skills, but you have yet to defeat me. You see this is far from over."

The two boys watched in surprise as Boris walked away as if that was all he had come to do. Kai turned to look at Tala.

"What was he talking about?"

"He already has his next scheme ready to take over beyblading."

"Oh. You know he could have told us that by calling us or something."

"You know Boris, he loves to keep us guessing."

Kai looked towards the horizon where he could just make out the buildings over the forest. "Tala, we need to get going."

Kai looked at Tala, who had suddenly found the ground below him very interesting. "What is it?"

Tala looked up, "If Isabel wouldn't mind I'd like to stay here with her. I like it out here and there's nothing really keeping me in Moscow. Just tell the police that I'm safe OK?"

"Sure thing and Tala?"

"Hm?"

Kai nervously stuck out his hand with an uncertain smile on his face. "I'm glad that I was able to get to know you better. I don't know if we can think of each other as friends, but I'm glad you were there for me, so thanks."

Tala shook the younger boy's hand smiling, "The same to you."

Isabel watched smiling at the two, "I would love you to stay with me Tala. You'd be a huge help. Kai, you have to at least stay for lunch. I won't let you leave without filling your stomach and saying a proper goodbye. I also want you to take Lupus with you; he knows his way back here and he'd be a good companion."

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"Well, this is it. It was very nice to meet you." Isabel smiled at Kai as he stood ready to leave. 

Kai nodded to her and Tala stepped in front of him. "Whether we will ever truly be friends or not I don't know, but Iagree and we can both say that we understand each other a bit better than we did when this crazy thing started. If you ever get tired of being a Bladebreaker, the Demolition Boys will be glad to make a space for you."

"Thanks Tala." The two beybladers shook hands before he and Lupus set off.

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As the two walked along Kai thought back to his conversation with Isabel.

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_"I knew I recognised your name, Hiwatari. A few months ago a man with that name stayed with me. He said he had come to Russia for some kind of tournament… oh I can't remember exactly what it was for, but I'm sure you would know. Anyway, I asked him why he was going and he replied by saying that he was going to watch his son, who had got to the finals with his team._

_"I persuaded him to stay with me and Lupus, of course, and after the first day he said he was leaving again. I wondered why he had wanted to leave so early, but I was not about to question his choice on the matter._

_"However I did ask him if he had seen his son. He replied by saying that he had and that his son had lost his match. I could see his disappointment at first, but he soon smiled at me and laughed. He told me how proud he really was that his son had made his own decision to not take up his grandfather's offer and to fight for what he believed in, even though he had known he would most likely loose._

_"He said to me that he thought his son was fine without him and that it would be better for both of them if he did not come back into his son's life."_

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Tears built up in Kai's eyes and he stopped for a bit to regain his composure. Lupus noticed this and walked over, licking his hand as if to ask if he was alright. Kai patted the wolf's head in reassurance, "Don't worry, I'm fine."

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_"Looking at your face I'd say he was wrong, but I respected his decision then and I still think he had his reasons to leave."_

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"I'll be fine."

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_"It's up to you if you wish to find him or not, but don't let it take over your life, or you might well miss everything else life has to offer. There are too many people who give up on their lives only to find the thing they have been searching for has changed while they were gone. Sometimes the good memories cloud even the worst experiences."_

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Kai looked down at Lupus, "Come on, let's go." 

The two began walking again and it was not long before Kai could just about make out the tall buildings towering over the city.

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**Just to clear this up because my explaination was not great: Lupus is just going with Kai until he gets to the city then he will go back to Isabel.**

**Only the epilogue to go (nothing too exciting, just Kai and his family talking). Well, nothing else to really say, but "review please."**


	10. Epilogue

**As you may have noticed I have left some things unanswered. This is mainly because I am planning to do a trilogy with each story taking place after a series of Beyblade. I am sorry to those who don't like stories that leave things up in the air, but that is what life is like: the story never ends (OK how corny did that sound?).**

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**_Epilogue_**

Lillian sat in a chair at the hotel they were staying at. She had done most of the talking with the police after taking a very long time to persuade her father in law that everything would be fine even with the police involved.

There had been no news on her son and she was beginning to wonder if first of all, she would ever see him again and secondly, what she would say to him. She had never been able to fill her husband's shoes, but instead of trying to help her son she became wrapped up in her own affairs. It had always been Voltaire who had known what the boy was doing, not her, his own mother.

Suddenly she heard a knock at the door, so walking over she opened it to find a boy with two-toned hair standing in front of her his face was downcast, but she still recognised him. She flung her arms around him, pulling him close and crying into his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Mom, everything's fine." His soft voice half-whispered into her ear.

Tears of joy fell from her eyes as she hugged him tighter. Needless to say she was happy to have him back in her arms. Smiling she turned her head to see Voltaire. Letting go of her son and saying how happy she was he was back, she walked out of the hotel room.

"Did you tell the police?"

"About you? No." Kai had yet to look up at his grandfather. "I told them about Boris and Tala, though."

"Tala was with you?"

"Yes."

"Is he alright?" It was more politeness than genuine concern, but Kai accepted that from his grandfather.

"Yes. He's living with someone that had helped us."

The elder man nodded, "Why have you not looked at me yet Kai?"

Kai tensed, in a way he was hoping to put this off, but nonetheless he looked up at his grandfather, whose eyes widened before he seemed to relax. "Boris?"

Not daring himself to speak Kai nodded, watching as his grandfather's eyes narrowed and his fists began to shake. Voltaire sighed, unclenching his fist and running a hand through his hair, before turning and leaning on the window.

"There is nothing I can say to make this up to you Kai except to let you lead your own life. If after finishing your education you wish to take over the family company you can, but," he turned to face Kai, "if you find that that is not what you want to do then, although I will not agree, I will respect that decision. It is obvious to me now that you will become great at something that you feel passionate about."

Kai could not help but let his jaw drop at what his grandfather had just said. Smiling slightly he walked up and hugged his grandfather. "Thank you."

Kai completely missed the smile that spread across the old man's face before he returned a brief hug to his only grandson.

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There was no scene made when Kai moved back with his grandfather. The media never really found out about it and the people that had known kept quiet. At this point in time Kai decided to quit beyblading. There was no real reason for him to keep going, since his team had won the World Championships. 

With new amounts of time on his hands, Kai soon found himself starting up at one of the best schools in Japan. It was a boarding school where Kai knew he would not fit in, but at the same time he only wanted to go there to be the best. Whatever he would do in the future would be his choice alone.

_I stand at the crossroads,_

_looking back on my life._

_Like everyone I have regrets,_

_but I will look to my future._

_The past has happened _

_I stand, alone once more_

_The cold wind flows around_

_And a beacon lights my path._

_What do I choose,_

_the old or the new?_

_Will I change for better or worse?_

_In the end only history will tell._

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Rain pelted the walls and roofs of houses as a dark figure walked along the street. The streetlights illuminated his path somewhat, but it still very dark. Turning a corner the figure walked over to another man who was standing with his back leaning against a tree.

"So, it's been a long time Hiwatari. When was the last time the two of us spoke, five, ten years ago?"

The first figure answered with a smirk on his face, "You saw me only a few months ago, Granger, or you wouldn't be here."

A laugh escaped the lips of the second figure, "You may be right, but you have called me on business, so who was I to refuse?"

"I need you to help me research the four most powerful beasts."

"Susumu, that's classified information. You know that!"

"And I see that both of our sons are right in the middle of this mess. I know enough of the prophecy to know that not all of the now former Blakebreakers will come out of this unscathed. Bruce, if I get caught you know the last thing I would do is drag you with me."

"Do you still have it?"

"I have not usedit in quite a while, but yes, I do have it."

Bruce looked up at his old friend. Susumu had changed so much since the two of them had last talked. The only thing that Bruce could remember was the determination in his crimson eyes.

"Alright, but if I get caught…"

"Trust me. It will not happen."

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**A big, big thank you to everyone who reviewed.You guy are really a great inspiration! So this will be my last request for this story: please review!**

**Like I said there will be a story soon up that takes place after Vforce that will be a sequal to this story. It will say so in the summary. A quick warning is that it will not have Tala in it, but if everything goes to plan the third story will. Kai, Tyson, Hilary and Kenny will be the main characters, so you can tell me yourviews (positive or negative).**


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